CWE-1270 Base Incomplete

Generation of Incorrect Security Tokens

This vulnerability occurs when a system's security token mechanism, designed to control permissions for different entities or agents, generates tokens that are fundamentally flawed or incorrect.

Definition

What is CWE-1270?

This vulnerability occurs when a system's security token mechanism, designed to control permissions for different entities or agents, generates tokens that are fundamentally flawed or incorrect.
In Systems-on-a-Chip (SoC) and similar hardware, security tokens act as digital IDs that define what actions (like read, write, or reset) each hardware agent is allowed to perform. These tokens are assigned based on an agent's trust level. If the token generation logic is broken, it can assign duplicate tokens to multiple agents or assign multiple conflicting tokens to a single agent. This flawed assignment breaks the fundamental security model. It can lead to severe consequences, including system crashes (Denial-of-Service), privilege escalation where a low-trust agent gains high-level access, or unauthorized actions that compromise the entire chip's security and data integrity.
Auswirkungen in der Praxis

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-1270

Bisher sind in MITREs Katalog keine öffentlichen CVE-Referenzen mit dieser CWE verknüpft.

Wie Angreifer es ausnutzen

Angreiferpfad Schritt für Schritt

  1. 1

    Consider a system with a register for storing an AES key for encryption or decryption. The key is 128 bits long implemented as a set of four 32-bit registers. The key registers are assets, and register, AES_KEY_ACCESS_POLICY, is defined to provide necessary access controls. The access-policy register defines which agents, using a Security Token, may access the AES-key registers. Each bit in this 32-bit register is used to define a Security Token. There could be a maximum of 32 Security Tokens that are allowed access to the AES-key registers. When set (bit = "1") bit number allows action from an agent whose identity matches that bit number. If Clear (bit = "0") the action is disallowed for the corresponding agent.

  2. 2

    Assume the system has two agents: a Main-controller and an Aux-controller. The respective Security Tokens are "1" and "2". | Register | Description | Default | | --- | --- | --- | | AES_ENC_DEC_KEY_0 | AES key [0:31] for encryption or decryption | 0x00000000 | | AES_ENC_DEC_KEY_1 | AES key [32:63] for encryption or decryption | 0x00000000 | | AES_ENC_DEC_KEY_2 | AES key [64:95] for encryption or decryption | 0x00000000 | | AES_ENC_DEC_KEY_3 | AES key [96:127] for encryption or decryption | 0x00000000 | | AES_KEY_ACCESS_POLICY | AES key access register [31:0] | 0x00000002 |

  3. 3

    An agent with a Security Token "1" has access to AES_ENC_DEC_KEY_0 through AES_ENC_DEC_KEY_3 registers. As per the above access policy, the AES-Key-access policy allows access to the AES-key registers if the security Token is "1".

  4. 4

    Both agents have access to the AES-key registers.

Verwundbares Codebeispiel

Vulnerable Other

An agent with a Security Token "1" has access to AES_ENC_DEC_KEY_0 through AES_ENC_DEC_KEY_3 registers. As per the above access policy, the AES-Key-access policy allows access to the AES-key registers if the security Token is "1".

Verwundbar Other 
The SoC incorrectly generates Security Token "1" for every agent. In other words, both Main-controller and Aux-controller are assigned Security Token "1".
Sicheres Codebeispiel

Secure Other

Both agents have access to the AES-key registers.

Sicher Other 
The SoC should correctly generate Security Tokens, assigning "1" to the Main-controller and "2" to the Aux-controller
What changed: the unsafe sink is replaced (or the input is validated/escaped) so the same payload no longer triggers the weakness.
Präventions-Checkliste

How to prevent CWE-1270

  • Architecture and Design / Implementation - Generation of Security Tokens should be reviewed for design inconsistency and common weaknesses. - Security-Token definition and programming flow should be tested in pre-silicon and post-silicon testing.
Erkennungssignale

How to detect CWE-1270

SAST High

Führe statische Analyse (SAST) auf der Codebasis aus und suche im Datenfluss nach dem unsicheren Muster.

DAST Moderate

Führe dynamische Application-Security-Tests gegen den Live-Endpoint aus.

Runtime Moderate

Beobachte Runtime-Logs auf ungewöhnliche Exception-Traces, fehlerhafte Eingaben oder Versuche, Autorisierung zu umgehen.

Code review Moderate

Code Review: Markiere jeden neuen Code, der Eingaben von dieser Oberfläche ohne validierte Framework-Helper verarbeitet.

Plexicus Auto-Fix

Plexicus erkennt CWE-1270 automatisch und öffnet in unter 60 Sekunden einen Fix-PR.

Codex Remedium scannt jeden Commit, identifiziert genau diese Schwachstelle und liefert einen reviewer-ready Pull Request mit dem Patch. Keine Tickets. Keine Hand-offs.

Demo anfordern Plexicus kostenlos testen
Häufig gestellte Fragen

Frequently asked questions

Was ist CWE-1270?

This vulnerability occurs when a system's security token mechanism, designed to control permissions for different entities or agents, generates tokens that are fundamentally flawed or incorrect.

Wie gravierend ist CWE-1270?

MITRE hat für diese Schwachstelle keine Exploit-Wahrscheinlichkeit veröffentlicht. Behandle sie als mittlere Auswirkung, bis dein Threat Model anderes belegt.

Welche Sprachen oder Plattformen sind von CWE-1270 betroffen?

MITRE lists the following affected platforms: Not OS-Specific, Not Architecture-Specific, Not Technology-Specific.

Wie kann ich CWE-1270 verhindern?

- Generation of Security Tokens should be reviewed for design inconsistency and common weaknesses. - Security-Token definition and programming flow should be tested in pre-silicon and post-silicon testing.

Wie erkennt und behebt Plexicus CWE-1270?

Die SAST-Engine von Plexicus erkennt die Datenfluss-Signatur von CWE-1270 bei jedem Commit. Bei einem Treffer öffnet unser Codex-Remedium-Agent einen Fix-PR mit korrigiertem Code, Tests und einer einzeiligen Zusammenfassung für den Reviewer.

Wo erfahre ich mehr über CWE-1270?

MITRE veröffentlicht die kanonische Definition unter https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1270.html. Für ergänzende Hinweise kannst du auch die OWASP- und NIST-Dokumentation heranziehen.

Verwandte Schwachstellen

Weaknesses related to CWE-1270

CWE-284 Parent

Improper Access Control

The software fails to properly limit who can access a resource, allowing unauthorized users or systems to interact with it.

CWE-1191 Sibling

On-Chip Debug and Test Interface With Improper Access Control

This vulnerability occurs when a hardware chip's debug or test interface (like JTAG) lacks proper access controls. Without correct…

CWE-1220 Sibling

Insufficient Granularity of Access Control

This vulnerability occurs when a system's access controls are too broad, allowing unauthorized users or processes to read or modify…

CWE-1224 Sibling

Improper Restriction of Write-Once Bit Fields

This vulnerability occurs when hardware write-once protection mechanisms, often called 'sticky bits,' are incorrectly implemented,…

CWE-1231 Sibling

Improper Prevention of Lock Bit Modification

This vulnerability occurs when hardware or firmware uses a lock bit to protect critical system registers or memory regions, but fails to…

CWE-1233 Sibling

Security-Sensitive Hardware Controls with Missing Lock Bit Protection

This vulnerability occurs when a hardware device uses a lock bit to protect critical configuration registers, but the lock fails to…

CWE-1252 Sibling

CPU Hardware Not Configured to Support Exclusivity of Write and Execute Operations

This vulnerability occurs when a CPU's hardware is not set up to enforce a strict separation between writing data to memory and executing…

CWE-1257 Sibling

Improper Access Control Applied to Mirrored or Aliased Memory Regions

This vulnerability occurs when a hardware design maps the same physical memory to multiple addresses (aliasing or mirroring) but fails to…

CWE-1259 Sibling

Improper Restriction of Security Token Assignment

This vulnerability occurs when a System-on-a-Chip (SoC) fails to properly secure its Security Token mechanism. These tokens control which…

Ressourcen

Further reading

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